Exploring Malta in 1-Day
We were on a Mediterranean cruise and only had 8am-4pm to explore this country. Booking a private tour made for a fantastic day and allowed us to see many highlights in this short timeframe. Malta was our favorite destination on the cruise!
From the cruise ship, our guide was waiting right by the ship for us. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize this and kept following the signs to the tours/buses. After a few texts, she quickly met up with us. This tour included a guide and a private driver.
The Dingli Cliffs
Our first stop was at the highest point of Malta, the Dingli Cliffs. This is a good spot to take a picture or sit along the cliff and have a windy picnic. But let’s be real- Greg and I consider most spots good picnic spots. Per our guide, you must try the coffee here. When you park, you will see a small booth with a woman selling her family coffee that “tastes like Christmas.” We actually didn’t try any because it was such a hot day, but looking back, we should have.
The next stop was not a planned stop (perks of a private tour!). The guide asked if we wanted to see a falcon, we said yes, so we made a fast stop along the way. Sometimes, there is a falconeer on this cliffside. On this day, there was. The falcon was not able to be held, but the owl was. He encouraged me to hold the owl (Nina) and he created a fun slo-mo video of Nina flying towards the camera. He didn’t tell me what was going to happen, just said “stay still, I’m going to do something cool.” Indeed, it was cool! (the video is on our Away We Morreau instagram)
Here, we had an iced coffee from a cute coffee trailer. Probably not as good as the “Christmas” coffee, but on this hot day, we preferred the ice.
The Blue Grotto
This next stop was my absolute favorite! Having a private guide was amazing here, as she was able to skip the line and get us tickets quickly. The views before getting into the boat were already incredible, but once on the boat, it felt magical. On a colorful wooden fishing boat, we were transported through the arches and caves of the blue grotto. This is one of those places you cannot miss!
Our next visit to Malta will absolutely involve a day trip to the Blue Lagoon. From what I’m told, it is a much larger version of the Blue Grotto, but farther away.
Our guide was very flexible and told us to take our time. We explored the village and had a drink at an outdoor cafe. Having the flexibility of this private tour felt luxurious and let us really enjoy the day at our own pace. In group tours, there is not as much room for flexibility, if any. If budget allows, we always encourage a private tour!
Hagar Qim
Hagar Qim is an ancient site, older than the Pyramids! The entrance started with a seven-minute video which did a great job showing us the history of the site. Before being discovered, it was buried 17 feet from thousands of years of sandstorms and other natural elements. It is impressive to imagine how they built this structure. The rocks are massive, with the largest rock being 17 feet tall. Looking closely, you can see details on the rocks. The swirls represent fertility and the woman’s body. Some believe this site was built to worship a fertility goddess. The ‘fat’ statues are both male and female- the bottom half is female, the torso is male, and the head can be swapped out for either. Hagar Qim is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk is the main fishing village of Malta. There are restaurants, shops, and an outdoor market. We love markets! This one had booths of souvenirs and sweet treats, which all looked scrumptious.
Sitting along the harbor full of vibrant fishing boats, we ate lunch at Harbour Lights. After an hour and a half of sitting at the table, we finally got our entrees (after asking multiple times). Jim and I shared a grilled barracuda. It was tasty! Overall thoughts… good food and waterfront ambience, but slow service.
It was hard to really enjoy it to its capacity as we were nervous about missing the deadline to get back onto the cruise ship. But don’t you worry, we did make it back onto the ship in time :)
Tip: Travel to Europe with patience! Unlike most of American restaurants, Europeans are not in a hurry when it comes to meals. Plan accordingly.
Ghar Dalam Cave
As the long lunch left us with virtually no extra time to spare, we spent just 10 minutes seeing the caves, possibly not even that long. Our guide assured us that we had time, but we moved fast, just to be certain we’d make it back to the ship in time. We quickly glanced at the cave and fossils, seeing hippo and dwarf elephant fossils.
Fun Facts (from our guide)
Malta has 23 historic sites.
Parts of the newest Jurassic World was filmed in Malta, as was some of Game of Thrones.
Horse is considered a delicacy.
Even though Malta is an island, they eat more meat than fish.
The island of Camino only has 2 people living on it.
43% of their paychecks are taken for taxes.
Malta has free education and healthcare.
The island has 365 churches. Yep, one for each day.
From all of our cruise ports, Malta is the place Greg and I desire to go back to! With any of these Mediterranean islands, we’d want to spend a few days to get a real feel for the island and to explore without having to rush. The Blue Lagoon is calling our name!
Read about our 10-night Mediterranean Cruise aboard the Celebrity Beyond
Are you going to Malta? We highly recommend this tour! You can customize it to fit your own desires. Book by clicking HERE